Flesh and Bones
by Northwoman
Summary: My very first fanfic which was an entry for the Deadpan Contest. Sookie and her new FBI Partner Eric face undeniable attraction as they solve a murder. Will these opposites be able to communicate with each other in the search for truth and true love?


**Beta's pennames: Missus_T. **

**She is the very best and I can't really thank her enough for her hard work, patience, and talent. She was so kind to a crazy, nervous new author.**

**Disclaimer: ****This is a parody of the TV show Bones, using our favorite SVM characters by Charlaine Harris. She owns them, I just love them.**

**A/N: This is my very first fanfiction. I wrote nearly all of this before the April episodes of the show but fit with it somewhat. It is AH and OOC since it is impossible to match every character and personality perfectly. Although the Amelia = Angela is a great one.**

**Sookie POV**

I stood in the doorway with my mouth open. I had walked over to the office of my FBI partner, and boyfriend, Bill Compton. Bill was seated at his desk with that bimbo secretary, Lorena, that he used to date, straddling his lap. They were tangled up together, kissing.

"How long, Bill?" I asked, my voice like steel. Then I realized I didn't care to know.

"Sookie, wait" He tried to get up and come to me, but was hampered by a lap full of Lorena.

Slamming the door, I went back to my own office and locked my door behind me.

I am Sookie Stackhouse, chief forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian Institute, here in Washington, DC. Two years ago, the powers that be decided that the first class scientists and equipment of the Jeffersonian anthropology team would be available to the FBI for the appropriate type of cases. They hired the New York City coroner, Dr. Pamela Ravenscroft, to run our team. As chief scientist, I would be paired with an FBI agent, William Compton.

My usual team would support us in the lab. This included my best friend, our forensic artist and imaging expert, Amelia Broadway. She does cranial reconstructions and crime scene imaging. Our chief entomologist is Dr. Sam Merlotte. In addition, to being an expert on spores and minerals, he is also a great friend to me. We also have a variety of interns in the lab.

Since I lost my family at a young age, the members of my team, Amelia and Sam, were my close friends and almost like family. Our team had been based at the Jeffersonian for a long time before the collaboration with the FBI began. At first, I resented having Pam Ravenscroft as the new head of the division. Eventually, in addition to liking her, I realized I was only too happy to let her deal with all the administrative and political tasks.

I was excited to work with the FBI and charmed by my new partner, Bill. He had dark, good looks and the manners of a Southern gentleman. We had quickly started dating and after two years had a comfortable relationship routine.

_Knock. Knock. _"Sookie, open the door!" Bill's voice boomed. "We need to talk."

I didn't respond. There was no way I was letting him in my office, or my life, ever again. That decided, I picked up the phone and dialed Pam's extension.

"Hello."

"Pam, it's Sookie. I am never working with Bill Compton again. He is outside my office door and won't leave. Can you get rid of him now?"

"So you finally saw the light. What did the he do now?"

"Can we talk about it later?" I nearly whined "Please get rid of him."

"Okay, I'm on it. I never liked him anyway. We will discuss this later."

"Thanks, Pam." I hung up the phone. After a few moments, the knocking stopped. I could hear Pam and Bill talking outside my door, then footsteps going away. Quickly I gathered my things and went out, leaving for the day to go home.

The next day, I cautiously made my way to my office. Amelia was waiting for me. She followed me in and sat on my sofa, expectantly.

"Hi Ames." I put away my coat and purse and sat down with her.

"Good morning, Sookie. So the douche bag is finally gone. What happened?"

"Oh Ames." I sighed. "Bill was cheating on me, with that secretary, Lorena. I actually walked in on them in his office yesterday."

"Well, I'm sorry about that sweetie, but I'm not sorry that he is gone." Amelia patted my arm. "Do you know that Pam had him clean out his office last night and everything?"

"No!" My eyes went wide. "Well, I am glad I don't have to see him. I told her I would never work with him again."

"She got the message, loud and clear." Amelia was grinning. "She even has another agent lined up to be your partner already. Word is that not only is he a hottie, but he and Pam used to be an item, once upon a time."

"A long time ago, in a place far, far away, we fucked. Now we are just friends." Pam came into my office. "His name is Eric Northman. He will be here for lunch with us. Amelia, I need a word with Sookie."

Amelia patted my shoulder and headed to her own office. Pam took her seat on the couch and smiled slightly.

"Normally Sookie, I would not remove someone from the team because of a personal relationship issue. It is not usually wise to get involved with a coworker, anyway. Dear Abby does not recommend it." Pam grinned. She lived and died by Abby's advice, I swear. "But I did it myself, with Eric, when we lived in New York. I guess I learned that lesson the hard way as well. I am actually glad to be rid of Bill Compton; he was no good for you. The situation gives me a reason to bring Eric to our team; we're friends now, that's all. He is a talented agent and I am sure the two of you will be able to work well together."

I nodded to show I was listening.

"However, I am concerned about your relationships with partners and your lack of support outside this office." Pam continued "I am adding a psychologist to our team, Dr. Lafayette Reynolds. He will help the two of you work on your new partnership and assist with interviews of suspects and victims."

"Ok, Pam" I bit my lip. Anything, I would do anything to not have to work with Bill. What could be so bad about a psychologist? He would help with cases, right? No one needed to know that he was also there to help me work better with a partner. Pam told me to forget about Bill and left me to my thoughts.

I worked for awhile at my desk, and then went out to check on things in the lab. As an entomologist, Sam studied bugs and the presence of bugs in all types of evidence. He was currently examining a pile of excrement or something that looked and smelled equally bad.

"Cher, I am sorry." Sam gave me his puppy dog look. "He was never good enough for you."

I smiled. "It's over. Forget it."

I looked over to the long corridor that ran along and above the lab. My eyes widened as I took in the tall, blond man standing there, near Pam's office. My eyes traveled from his broad chest muscles, forming a V to his small waist, and on to his long, long legs. As I started back up his body, he turned and I viewed his world-class tight butt. Oh my! He turned back and as I reached his face, framed by longish, blond hair, his eyes met mine. He smirked and winked at me.

I felt the heat over my whole body, as no doubt, my face flushed. I hurriedly tried to focus back on Sam, who was looking at me strangely. "What Sam?"

"I asked if you wanted to go to lunch today."

"She has plans for lunch with me and her new partner," said Pam, as she came up to us, with Mr. Hot Ass 2010 in tow. "Sookie, Sam, this is Special Agent Eric Northman. Eric, this is your new partner, our chief forensic anthropologist, Dr. Sookie Stackhouse and our entomologist, biologist and mineralist, Dr. Sam Merlotte."

"Hello Sookie, it's nice to meet you. I have heard a great deal about your success in working with the FBI." Eric smiled, his eyes twinkling wickedly, and reached out to shake my hand. It felt like a jolt of electricity shot between us when he touched me.

I swallowed, reminding myself to breathe and managed a small smile. "Thank you, Eric. I'm pleased to meet you, also." FML! Going from Bill to Eric as a partner, I had gone from the frying pan into the fire. Just shaking hands with him was burning me up. I had never felt such an attraction to a man in my life. And worse, he knew it!

Eric released my hand after a long moment, and reached out to shake Sam's hand. "Hello, Sam. I look forward to working with you also." I couldn't help but notice that he released Sam's hand quickly compared to the time he held mine.

**Pam POV**

I knew that Bill Compton was a double-timing bastard. But there was no way to tell Sookie; she had to learn things on her own to believe them. I also knew that Eric would be a better member for my team. I had been preparing for this bomb to explode, so I was ready.

What I wasn't prepared for, was what happened when I introduced Eric and Sookie. The attraction between them was immediate and obvious. Eric was gazing into her eyes intently, smiling. Sookie was blushing, actually blushing. When Eric took her hand, I thought he wasn't going to release it. Sam was frowning; he recognized it, too. He always had a bit of a thing for Sookie.

We went to lunch and I started the conversation flowing, talking about innocuous things like movies, books and music, just so they could get to know each other a bit. It worked well, almost too well; they were chatting away, enjoying themselves. I practically ceased to exist in their world. They were well-suited, with a similar zest for life, but I never would have added Eric to the team if I had anticipated their connection.

**Eric POV**

I wasn't surprised when Pam called me. I knew she wanted to bring me to her team at the Jeffersonian. They needed to keep solving cases to keep their funding and she knew I would increase their success rate. I had heard good things about the team and particularly the head anthropologist, Sookie Stackhouse. She was reputed to be amazing with evidence and to have knack for getting at the truth. Pam confided that Sookie had been dating the previous agent. I had never heard of Bill Compton, until he had been on the Jeffersonian team. I speculated that she was the talent in that partnership.

When I met Sookie in the lab, I was shocked, literally. My body reacted to her from head to toe. She was blond and blue-eyed, like Pam, but with soft curves, where Pam was all angles. She flushed when I shook her hand, which, to my dismay, alerted my dick. I forced myself to let go of her hand, and greet the other scientist.

At lunch, we talked about ordinary things, and I felt quite comfortable with Sookie. I think Pam was a little surprised at how well we hit it off. Sookie was fun, but rather rooted to her science, which made her seem a bit naïve in some ways.

As soon as we returned to the Jeffersonian, we started going over normal procedures and shit like that to orient me. Sookie gave me a tour of the lab, introducing me to more squints, and then took me to her office, to talk about more protocol crap. I hated first days on the job. Closing her door behind us, I nearly ran into her when she stopped and turned around to face me.

Sookie looked up at me with a bit of a frown. "What is it about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, physical attractiveness is believed by anthropologists to be an important factor in the development of personality and social relations. Humans are very sensitive to variations in physical appearance, the theory applies to evolution. A person's physical attractiveness has a direct impact on their sexual appeal. We are programmed to want to mate with others who have desirable genetics. We're drawn to each other based on the impact on senses such as visual being looks, audition as in how one sounds, and olfaction which is how one smells."

"Uh, can you speak English, rather than scientific terminology?" I stepped closer to see if I could tell what she was saying by trying to read her expression.

Sookie took a deep breath. "Well, of course you are an attractive man. I think it's your scent though. Your pheromones seem to be especially potent."

_She finds me attractive and this is how she explains it?_ I bent down to whisper in her ear, "Are you saying you find me attractive?" I couldn't help grinning.

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened to try to say something. I didn't wait; my lips covered hers, my arms pulling her into my body. I kissed her gently for a moment, before letting my tongue explore and then dance with hers. It felt so right; she was warm and soft. She tasted sweet. "Now that we have added taste and touch to your experience of me, do you have any conclusions, or do you need more data?"

We were interrupted before she could answer, of course, by a knock on the door. I released her, reluctantly and went to open her door. It was Pam.

"Some poor shmuck saw a body inside a biffy at Rock Creek Park. Who looks down into the hole in a porta-potty? Sorry to throw you into things so quickly Eric, but the two of you need to get out there."

"It will be easier to bring the whole thing back here to process. Sam will be thrilled, tons of excrement to process and no doubt, insects." Sookie looked positively cheerful and I could see the gears turning in her head. "I'll take my kit."

Keeping everything businesslike, Sookie gathered the things she would need, and we went to the car. She let me drive and navigated us to Rock Creek Park. When we arrived, the park police directed us to the scene. They had removed the lid, to give us better access to the body and shit, really shit. Sookie pulled on some sort of coveralls over her dress pants, and gloves, and set to work looking at the body.

"Female, Caucasian, probably in her late 20s or early 30s. The body has not been here too long, less than 24 hours. She looks worse because of the chemicals in there."

"Will you be able to narrow down the timing?"

"Yes, back at the lab. Using DNA and imaging, we will be better able to identify the victim. The body should give us solid evidence as to cause of death as well." She turned to the team. "It's portable, so take everything back to the lab."

Sookie took off the gloves and coveralls, but she was grimy from her examination of the body and scene. She gave the team and park police a few more instructions and we went back to the car.

"Eric, my apartment is on the way. Can we stop there so I can get a quick shower and change?"

I looked at her and couldn't help chuckling. She was adorable, precise in her work but currently a mess. Did she like everything just so? What would it be like to see her with her hair wild, face and perhaps body flushed?

"Sure. I guess this isn't the time to assess you from an olfactory perspective?" I smirked. She just smiled and shook her head.

I was interested to see her apartment; it might give me more clues about Sookie. We were quiet, other than her navigating, on the short drive to her place. Her apartment was nice; brick, hardwood floors, enough space, and the furniture looked comfortable. It was a home where someone lived, not a fussy showplace. Sookie offered me something to drink, then went into what I assumed was the bedroom to clean up. I heard the shower turn on. I felt myself turn on too as I imagined her in the shower, water running down her neck, and her breasts, while her hands rubbed her body as she cleaned herself.

The next thing I knew, I was standing in the bathroom, stripping off my clothes. I stepped into the shower behind her. I think she was as surprised to see me as I was at my lack of control where she was concerned.

"As your partner, I thought I should help you get clean."

She was shaking, despite the warm water. I took the soap and lathered my hands, gently but firmly, massaging and washing her shoulders and working the knots out of her muscles. I scrubbed her arms clean, then I worked my way down her body, rubbed her rounded ass. My mouth followed my hands, placing open mouthed kisses after each massage and washing. I carefully cleaned each leg, kneading the calf muscles. She moaned slightly, as though that felt good, seemingly relaxing a bit. Putting my hands on her hips, I turned her to face me where I knelt on the floor.

Slowly, I looked up her body, taking in her curves, including the most beautiful breasts I had ever seen, and her lovely face with her blue eyes surveying me as well. I began washing her legs to work my way up her front side, massaging, rubbing, and let my mouth continue following my hands. Sookie wavered, as though she might fall, and fisted her hands in my hair.

When I reached the top of her legs, I let my hand caress her slit. She jerked slightly and moaned. I slid a finger into her, then another, pumping them in and out. I sucked her clit, then worked it with my thumb. As my fingers continued to fuck her, I trailed a path to her stomach, using my other hand and mouth, to massage, wash, lick and kiss my way up, and then lingering to suck and nibble her luscious breasts.

Sookie still clung to my hair, her little moans and cries nearly constant now, and as I stood, she pulled my face to hers. She was rocking her hips against me and breathing heavily when I kissed her. I looked into her eyes then, curling my fingers to hit her spot, and she clenched around my fingers as she came. I felt overwhelmed by her loveliness, her spontaneous noises as she came undone, and the look on her face and in her eyes as she climaxed for me. "So beautiful."

Sookie collapsed against me so I held her, my free arm around her waist, she was panting with her mouth slightly open. I held her eyes, as I brought my fingers back to my mouth and licked them. She gasped softly, seemingly unable to say anything yet.

Turning off the shower, I took her hand and stepped out to dry off. I scooped her up and carried her to the bed, where I laid her out before me. I crawled up her body to kiss her again, enjoying the feel of her body against mine. My erection pressed against her, and she rocked against me as we kissed.

"Can you feel how much I want you?"

She looked up at me, nodding. "Please Eric."

I needed no further urging. Despite my feeling of fevered frenzy, I slid into her slowly; giving her time to adjust to my size. Kissing her delectable lips each time I paused, until I was fully inside her. I actually growled at the heavenly feeling of being so tight inside her.

"Lover, you feel so good."

She squeezed my ass with both hands and moved her hips.

"Fuck" I groaned and began moving in and out, a euphoric feeling flowed through me. She met me thrust for thrust and soon both of us were gasping and moaning. Sookie began chanting my name, breathlessly. When she came screaming my name, I could no longer hold my release. Spent, I collapsed, then rolled onto my side and pulled her into my chest. I held her, nuzzling her neck, gently sucking and kissing, not really wanting to leave the bed. She seemed to be humming, more like purring, her hands caressing my arms. _What. The. Fuck. Was it pheromones?_

**Sookie POV**

Yes, I had definitely gone from the frying pan into the fire. When Eric got into the shower with me, I nearly had a heart attack, but the tsunami of lust was truly unstoppable. There was no way I could ask him to leave, I could hardly breathe, much less speak. When he turned me to face him, I could see that he was even more stunning naked and his erection was massive. _Yikes. Yahoo. Yum. _

Eric was amazing and apparently irresistible. Afterwards, I treasured a moment of being held, snuggled to him in the bed. Bill would have flopped over and been asleep already. Eric's large, warm body embraced me, as he rained kisses against my neck.

I shook myself mentally to permeate the luxurious haze of comfort, which was dangerously bordering on a new wave of lust building up again. I sighed.

"Mmmm, Eric, whatever we might want to do, right now we need to get back to the lab to get things started for the investigation."

"I know" He hugged me to him tightly "But then maybe we could have dinner?"

I agreed. I couldn't believe this was happening so soon after my breakup with Bill, but it just felt right. We dressed quickly. As we left the apartment, Eric pulled me into his arms and kissed me, holding me for a long moment, before he let me go. He drove us to the Jeffersonian, following my directions once again.

When we got to the lab, Eric went with me as I checked in with various members of the team. Amelia, most likely, wouldn't be ready to do imaging until tomorrow morning. Today, Sam and the rest of the lab personnel would be cleaning the body, analyzing to determine time and cause of death. I explained the procedures and timelines to Eric. He listened, asking what I felt were intelligent questions and watched as I set up various procedures.

"That's all we can do until processing is complete and the test results are back. Amelia, Sam and the rest of the team will have more ready for us first thing in the morning."

Eric smiled down at me. "Well, then let's go have dinner and start fresh in the morning."

We each went to our respective offices to get our things and Eric came to my door. "Do you have a car here?"

"No. I take the Metrorail. I am normally in the lab unless I go somewhere for a case, then I would go with you anyway."

Eric smiled. "Then you can _go with me_ now."

We walked out, to go to the parking lot, Eric's hand at the small of my back. It was comforting, yet arousing. We stepped out into the parking lot, and I found myself face to face with Bill Compton. I sucked in a breath, at the same time Bill seemed to hiss.

"Sookie. We didn't get a chance to finish our conversation yesterday."

"Go away, Bill. I have nothing to say to you."

"Sookie, I love you. You must talk to me, so we can straighten this out."

"There is nothing to straighten out. You were fucking a bimbo in your office! It's indefensible. " I snapped at Bill. I managed a glance at Eric, and then begged him to get me out of there with my eyes. He looked surprised at the situation, but he put his strong arm around my waist and turned to Bill.

"Sookie and I have business, we need to get going."

"Who are you?"

"That's none of your business." Eric and I said together. I stifled a giggle and noticed the corners of Eric's mouth quirking up, also. He turned me towards his car and we started walking away from Bill.

Bill watched us walk away. "Sookie. This isn't over."

Eric glared at Bill saying, "Yes it is." Eric opened my door for me, like a real gentleman, and closed it behind me.

Once he was in and we were on our way, he asked me. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No but I will. That was Bill Compton." I looked at my feet for a minute, and then hazarded a glance at Eric. "I-I'm not good with people usually. I don't know what it is between you and me. Bill, he was my first relationship, really. I caught him cheating on me."

"I'm sorry." Eric looked and sounded sincere.

"Thanks." I looked out the window. We were both quiet until we reached the restaurant.

Considering that we had awesome, passionate sex and weren't really talking about it, we had a pleasant dinner. We went to a nice steak house I liked. They actually had a little dance floor. Eric asked me to dance and I was delighted. I loved to dance and Eric turned out to be a great partner. It felt so natural to be with him. When Eric suggested we go back to his apartment, I knew I shouldn't but I couldn't resist him. Much later, Eric and I fell asleep, comfortably wrapped up in each other.

BZZZT. BZZZT. When the alarm went off, I felt a rock wall press against me and then the alarm was off_. Oh God, Eric. I am at his place, in his bed. I had sex with Eric. Several times, not good. Well, it was, but now what? _Eric's arms were around me and one leg was over mine.

The next thing I knew, I was being kissed and Eric was a phenomenal kisser. He could write the book on it, teach classes, and no doubt, women would line up to be his demonstration models! Rational thought left my mind, and only the sensations in my body were real, as Eric kissed his way down my chest and kept going.

"Lover, watch me," he said quietly. I raised my head, doing my best to focus my eyes on him, as he brought me to new heights of pleasure. I vaguely heard moaning, then screaming, and realized dazedly that it was me. Afterward, Eric was smiling at me, as I tried to catch my breath. The haze of lust over me appeared to be mutual at least; I could see desire in Eric's beautiful blue eyes.

He nibbled on my ear and whispered to me. "Let's have a shower, so I can take you by your place to get some fresh clothes." He helped me up, then he swatted my butt lightly, after turning me in the direction of the bathroom. "I'll be there in a minute."

I didn't bother to try to say anything, and went into the bathroom. I took care of my bladder and brushed my teeth with his toothpaste on my finger. I gawked at his huge shower, turned on the water, and then he was there with me. Before I realized it, Eric scooped me up, my legs wrapped around his waist and he was taking me against the shower wall. It was hard and fast and satisfying. We finished by washing each other quickly but thoroughly. While I dried off, Eric went into his closet. He handed me a T-shirt and pair of sweats. "Here. Something clean to wear until we get your own clothes."

I couldn't help smiling up at him. "Thanks" He really was very thoughtful. Every time I was with Eric it seemed more, uh more. I didn't know. _Jesus Christ, Sheppard of Judea_. I could hardly put together a coherent thought, much less process scientific data efficiently!

We got dressed. Eric poured us each a cup of coffee while I toasted us some bagels. He must have started the coffeemaker before we showered. _Sexy and smart_. We were out the door quickly. It would be a busy morning at work.

When we reached the office, Eric told me he'd find me after stopping in his office. I got to work, checking in with my team. First, I found Sam to see where he was in the processing of the body. He and Dr. Amy Ludwig were looking at a computer screen. Eric joined us and I introduced him to Amy, one of the interns. She pointed to the image of the skull on the computer screen.

"You can see the fracture at the back of the skull – blunt force trauma. It is the cause of death. There are no other anomalies."

"Thank you Amy. Sam, do you have anything to add?"

"No, Sookie, I still have more to analyze. I should know more about the time of death in a few hours."

"What about DNA or dental data for identification?"

"They are also in process."

"Have you sent the skull images to Amelia for facial recognition and imaging?"

"Yup, she is probably ready for you." I turned to Eric.

"Let's go see what Amelia has for us." We went to Amelia's image work room. I gasped when I saw the image on the screen. "That's Maria Star Herveaux!"

"That's what I thought, sweetie. I just finished the graphical pixilation." Amelia squeezed my arm.

Eric looked at me. "You know the victim?"

"Sort of. I think I might have met her once, maybe. She is the wife of Alcide Herveaux, the senator from Louisiana. He just started his second term and married her right before, about eighteen months ago." I took a breath. "He really loved her. This will devastate him."

Eric raised his eyebrows. "How do you know them?"

"I am from Louisiana and went to school at Tulane, at the same time Alcide did. We were friends."

"How close of friends were you, Sookie?"

Amelia laughed. "They flirted like mad, but when one was single, the other wasn't. Their timing sucked. Sam and I went to school with them, too."

I glared at Amelia

"Sookie, is this going to be a conflict for you? The husband is always a suspect." I had a feeling Eric was more concerned about a conflict on a personal level despite Amelia's reassurance.

"I follow the evidence to the truth. There is no conflict in the truth. I would be surprised if Alcide killed her, though. I don't look forward to his notification. Has she been reported missing or anything?"

Eric replied, "I will check the missing persons database. In the meantime, can you confirm the identity through dental records or DNA? Then we can start interviewing suspects, and putting together a timeline of when and who saw her last."

We headed towards the door, considering the identity of the victim; I needed to go update Sam and Amy, while Eric did his own follow-up.

Amelia stopped us. "Wait, Sookie, what about the stalker bitch, Alcide's old girlfriend, what was her name?

"Debbie Pelt. She was in the business of exotic furs – fox or lynx or something. She was positively rabid and Alcide did say she seemed to be following him around. I didn't think about her, but she wasn't very happy about the marriage." I pondered a moment. "We should also talk to Alcide's business partner, John Quinn. He worked with Maria at the Southern Bar & Grill they own here in DC. He would probably know some things about her schedule."

Eric smiled. "Well, you do seem to know her close contacts, which should make it easier to figure out the timeline."

We each went to our respective tasks and the data confirmed that Maria Star Herveaux was our victim. She had not been reported missing which was odd for the wife of a politician. The Senate had just finished its session, so we were able to go to Alcide's home to talk with him. He came into his library to talk with us.

"Sookie, it's great to see you." Alcide flashed a grin at me and gave me a big hug.

I smiled back at him. "It's good to see you, too. Alcide, this is my FBI partner, Special Agent Eric Northman. Eric, this is Senator Alcide Herveaux." They shook hands and Alcide offered us a seat and something to drink. We declined drinks and all sat down.

"What brings you out here today, Sookie?" I looked at Eric and bit my lip. _Was it up to me?_

"Alcide, we found a body yesterday afternoon at Rock Creek Park. I am sorry to tell you, we have positively confirmed it as Maria."

"Wha-What? No, no, she is overseas on a mission with the church. It can't be her!" His eyes were wide and he was intense, almost yelling at me. Eric took over.

"When did you last see her, or speak to her?"

Alcide ran his hand through his hair. "The day before yesterday. She had everything packed up in my car and wanted to do a final check of things at the restaurant. I dropped her at the restaurant with her luggage. After lunch, she was taking a cab to the airport. It is a long flight and they were headed to a remote area, so I didn't expect to hear from her until later today." He looked devastated.

"So she went to the restaurant and then planned to go to the airport, do you know what time her flight was scheduled?"

"It was late afternoon, around 5:30, I think. I can email you the itinerary."

Eric nodded and gave Alcide his card. "Who was her contact at the church?

"Reverend Steve Newlin at the Fellowship of the Sun."

Can you think of anyone who might wish to harm her?"

"No."

Eric stood to leave. "We will be in touch. I am sorry for your loss."

I got up and went over to hug Alcide. "We will find out what happened, Alcide."

Alcide thanked us and showed us out.

We went back to the car, and Eric held my door open for me. "Was it necessary to hug the suspect?" He looked a bit pouty.

"Eric, he needed it, he just lost his wife, after all, and I am his friend."

Eric drew me to him for a firm hug and whispered in my ear, "I prefer to be the one you are hugging." I shivered slightly at his sexy tone and got into the car before I completely lost my mind. _Were we a couple now?_ He closed the car door behind me. On the drive back, Eric called to arrange meetings with John Quinn and Debbie Pelt at the office.

When we reached the office, Pam introduced us to the new psychologist, Dr. Lafayette Reynolds. He would be helping us with our interviews.

**Lafayette POV**

My new boss lady, Dr. Pam Ravenscroft was a spark plug. My position would be interesting; I would be helping with interviews of suspects and witnesses in murder investigations. My other role, on the down low, would be providing couples therapy for the forensic anthropologist and her new FBI partner. Sounded like she was a bit of a book worm and didn't get the real world. We were in Pam's office, when the dynamic duo arrived.

"Lafayette, this is Dr. Sookie Stackhouse, our chief forensic anthropologist and FBI Special Agent Eric Northman. Together, they handle the field work, interviews and investigative direction of our cases. Eric, Sookie, this is Dr. Lafayette Reynolds; he is the psychologist I told you would be helping with your profiles and interviews."

"Whoa, Pam. Have y'all dropped me into an alternate universe of murder investigation Scandinavian style? I have never seen so much blond hair and such beautiful blue eyes. I don't think I fit the profile here. Or am I expected to dye my hair and get blue contact lenses? Of course, we could take over for the Mod Squad."

Pam and Eric laughed out loud.

Sookie studied me a moment, then giggled, and went right back to business. "We should get some lunch. Afterward, we all need to meet in the imaging room to go over the latest case forensics and data before our interviews."

"Well, pretty boy, are you available?" I asked.

Eric raised his eyebrows at me. "Only if I can bring my partner." His eyes sought out Sookie and when he looked at her, she flushed and smiled.

"Oh, I insist." _Damn, that was some intense connection they had happening. Didn't Pam say they just met yesterday?_

Pam had other lunch plans, but indicated she would be at the meeting. So the new Mod Squad headed to the nearby diner, where Jeffersonian employees often ate. We were shown to a booth and sure enough Eric slid in next to Sookie. During lunch, Eric and I shot the breeze; Sookie mostly listened and watched. Eric acted like a toddler guarding his favorite toy, glancing her way frequently and drawing her into the conversation.

After lunch, we went back to the office to meet in the imaging room. Pam introduced me to Amelia Broadway; this room was her domain, and Drs. Sam Merlotte and Amy Ludwig. Amelia was a spicy, energetic brunette; she started the data dump on the case so far.

"The body was found yesterday in a porta-potty at Rock Creek Park. These photos show drag marks where most likely, the body was dragged from a car to this biffy. We believe she was killed elsewhere and brought here to dump. Through both imaging and dental records, the victim was identified as Maria Star Herveaux, wife of Senator Alcide Herveaux. Sookie, Sam and I know Alcide, since we all went to Tulane University."

Dr. Ludwig continued the story. "The chemicals in the biffy caused swift deterioration of tissue. We determined the cause of death to be a blunt force trauma to the back to the head."

Sookie looked thoughtful. "Amy, are you doing tests to determine the nature of the weapon? The shape and composition?"

"Yes. I'll let you know as soon as we have a match."

Sookie moved on. "Sam?"

"Based on the insect larvae within the body and its degeneration, she was in the biffy about 16 hours. The time of death based is between 3:00 and 5:00pm day before yesterday. She was put in the biffy, probably between 8:00 and 10:00 pm."

Sookie nodded and then looked to Eric.

"We went out to the Park, to view the scene and the body. Sookie directed the team on body recovery. We notified the victim's husband this morning. He claims to have last seen her on Tuesday morning. She was to stop by work, the Southern Bar & Grill and then fly out at 5:30pm on a church mission overseas. He did not know anyone who wished to harm his wife. Our interviews this afternoon are with the business partner from the restaurant, John Quinn, and a previous girlfriend of Mr. Herveaux, who may have been stalking him. We also need to speak with Reverend Newlin from the church, probably tomorrow morning. We will be establishing a timeline of her movements and any motives for her death."

Finally, when every single solitary piece of shit was hashed, we went to the interviews. I was in an observation booth where I could see into the room, and use a microphone so that Eric and Sookie could hear me with the earpieces they wore. They went into the interview room, introduced themselves and sat down across from John Quinn.

Eric started the questioning. "Mr. Quinn, on Tuesday, did you see Maria Herveaux?"

"Just call me Quinn. Sure. She came into the office about 10:00 am and we went over all the ordering and payables for when she would be on her trip."

"How long was she expected to be gone?" Sookie asked.

"Two weeks."

Eric went on. "Tell us about the rest of Tuesday. Who did she see? Do you know when she left the bar?"

"She left after the lunch rush, maybe around 2pm. Maria met with that church guy before she went to the airport."

"Do you know of anyone she was having trouble with, personally or a vendor?"

Quinn shifted in his chair. "No. She was a sweet girl. She could get along with anyone."

"What was her relationship like with her husband?"

Now Quinn looked pissed. "They were newlyweds and acted like it. They were happy."

"How long have you known them? Did you know Alcide's previous girlfriends?"

Quinn raised his eyebrows. "I have known Alcide for about seven years, since he came here to DC. I knew his previous girlfriend, Debbie Pelt, the twat that clung to him for years. She still hangs around sometimes."

Eric nodded. "I think that's all for now. Thanks for coming in and helping us today. If you think of anything else, please let us know."

Eric and Sookie got up to show him out. Quinn turned to look at Sookie with a grin.

"Hey babe, being a southern girl, you should come by the bar. I'll buy you a drink."

"Thank you Quinn, but I can't really have personal involvement with any witness."

Eric looked livid. I spoke, forgetting the earpiece for a moment. "Testosterone spill on aisle four." I barely contained a chuckle, and Eric's face took on a mask when he realized I'd seen his reaction, his emotions were once again hidden.

Oblivious, Quinn continued. "Well, this case won't last forever, babe. Then we can get better acquainted."

Sookie didn't respond. Eric was tense, but led Quinn out without a word and came back with the next interviewee.

Eric introduced himself and Sookie, then started her questioning. "Ms. Pelt, do you know Alcide and Maria Herveaux?"

"Yea, I know her too." She angled her head towards Sookie. "She used to hang around Alcide."

Eric glanced at Sookie, but continued, "When is the last time you saw either of the Herveauxes?"

Debbie squirmed. "Well, uh, actually the day before yesterday. Maria was at the bar they own."

"What time were you there and what were you doing there?"

Debbie snorted. "It's a bar. I was having a drink. I was there from maybe noon until about 2:15."

"Did you notice her talking to anyone? Or anyone watching her?"

"She talked to some guy. They seemed_ real _friendly." Debbie grinned at this.

"Can you describe this man?"

"Sure, he was probably late 30s, tall, lanky, with dark brown hair."

Eric tried again. "And you didn't see anyone else?"

"No, what is this about anyway?"

"Maria Herveaux is dead. Her body was found yesterday."

Debbie's eyes went wide and then she grinned. "Well, that is the best news I have heard all week."

Sookie looked at her sharply. "So did you kill her?"

"Of course not, but Alcide will be better off without her."

I spoke into the mike. "The bitch is happy to see her gone. She is mean as a snake, probably would love to have killed her, but she was actually shocked that she was dead. Don't tell her she was found in the biffy, she would probably pee her pants laughing. "

"Did you see Maria leave the bar?"

"Yea, she left just before I did."

Where did you go when you left the bar?" asked Eric.

"I went to a meeting with a fur retailer."

Eric wrote down the name and number of the retailer, thanked Ms. Pelt for her help and gave her his card, asking her to let him know if she thought of anything else. Sookie took her to Amelia, to get a sketch of the man she had seen with Maria.

I made my way to the interview room to wrap things up. Sookie rejoined us quickly. Eric recapped the interviews. "Well, Mr. Quinn helped our timeline, but we don't have a motive for him to kill Maria. Ms. Pelt has a motive but truly didn't seem to know she was dead. Let's hope our interview with Rev. Newlin from the church tomorrow gives us more information. "

I looked at the two of them, sitting across from me at the table. _Game on_. "Well, shit, the only thing more interesting than grainy whorehouse surveillance video that happened in the last two hours was when Quinn tried to hook up with Sookie. I'd be happy to show you around tonight, pretty boy."

Eric looked at me, sharply. "I thought I made it clear earlier that I have a partner."

"Well, that is for work, this would be for play, pretty boy."

"Stop that, Lafayette. I have had all I can stand of male courtship displays today. Males try to impress with their vigor and biological fitness. In sexual selection, they try to influence being chosen above all other males. First, Quinn was trying to get me to have a drink with him. He called me babe, seriously, what a dim wit. Mates are often preferred with exaggerated features of morphology. This is the sexy son hypothesis. Now you are going after Eric and calling him a pretty boy. Actually, the impressive ornaments or fighting abilities are often the result of good genes. They indicate features like greater disease resistance or more efficient metabolism. Darwin's theory of human evolution is based on this sexual selection."

Eric gave me a shit-eating grin, back on his game. "Well, sorry, I have one preferred _female_ partner for play."

Sookie frowned, thoughtfully. "Actually, only about 15% of primates are socially monogamous. Sexual monogamy is very rare. Orangutans are solitary, coming together only for mating purposes. Chimpanzees and bonobos are very promiscuous, particularly bonobos as they use sex to alleviate social conflict as well as for reproduction. Other than humans, dolphins and bonobos are the only mammals who willingly and regularly engage in sex, regardless of reproductive cycles."

I chuckled, these two were something else. "Well, I will take my leave if I can't convince you straight ass party poopers to come out and play. I will see you in the morning for the interview with the Reverend."

I left them and went back to my office. When I was leaving for the day, I saw them walking out together. Eric's hand was on Sookie's back. Cautiously, I followed them to the parking lot to continue observing them. Eric opened his passenger door for her, then suddenly drew her into his arms to kiss her. It appeared to be a gentle but lingering kiss. I shook my head, snickering to myself. Pam was going to have her hands full with this partnership.

**Sookie POV**

Lafayette left Eric and me in the interview room. _One preferred female partner?_ "Now what happens Eric?"

He grinned. "First we wrap things up so we are ready for tomorrow. Next we stop by your apartment so you have clothes for tomorrow, then we hit the grocery store for ingredients I need to fix us some dinner. Last, but not least, we relax so we are in perfect condition for whatever the next day brings."

"Well, aren't you high-handed? What if I have other ideas?"

Eric smirked, sliding his arms around me to lean in and whisper into my ear. "Feel free to share any ideas you have, this is a _partnership_." His cheek rubbed against mine, like a cat. His voice was like purring in my ear.

"I …I don't know what we are doing. But …. I admit I like it. We need to focus on our work here, however." Reluctantly, I moved out of Eric's arms. "I'll finish up in my office. Can you come there when you are ready to leave?"

"As you wish."

I went back to my office. _What was I going to do? Eric was my partner, a great lover and I enjoyed him, too much. Well, I would collect data tonight; I would see what Eric had to say and how things went. It was too early to form a conclusion._

It wasn't long before Eric and I were leaving the building together. His hand on my back felt natural and right. We chatted about the main points to ask the Reverend Newlin in the morning as we walked. Reaching the car, Eric opened the passenger door for me. I put my bag in on the floor, ready to get in, when he pulled me to him for one of his amazing and skillful kisses. It was tender, melting me deep down, and he took his time. Afterward, he looked into my eyes for a long moment before releasing me.

I got into the car, my pulse racing. "What was that?"

Eric smirked at me. "Kissing."

"I know that! I mean… I don't know what I mean. I always know what I mean."

"What do you know about kissing?"

I sighed, too confused to sort out my thoughts. _Or was it my emotions?_

"What do you mean?"

Eric chuckled. "I'll take a page from your book. I'm well-rounded. I've taken courses in psychology and sociology. Kissing is the physical expression of deep affection or love between couples. Eastern and African cultures generally do not have the custom of kissing. In Western society, it is a fairly recent development, and a romantic act. Romantic kissing requires privacy, either physically or psychologically; it is generally a form of sexual foreplay."

Momentarily, I was back on indisputable scientific ground. "Yes. Kissing involves the senses of touch, taste and smell. Kisses pass epigenetic pheromones that are important for human health and behavioral appetites. The non-volatile skin surface and mucosal surface lipids that are passed in kissing have some of the greatest chemical complexity of any pheromone."

Eric had stopped the car at my building. I had no sooner finished speaking and he yanked me into his arms, crashing his lips into mine. This was not gentle; this was ardent. I was being consumed; my skin felt scorched where Eric touched me. His hands were busy caressing me, holding me. My last thought was- _in kissing, lips use 34 facial muscles and 112 postural muscles-_ and then Eric's tongue teased my mouth, and conceptual thought left me.

When I was gasping for breath Eric kissed his way along my cheek to my ear. "Sookie, feel with me, don't think."

I was greedy for Eric's attention and touch. Somehow I had one of my hands tangled with his hair and the other around his neck. I drew in a breath and then kissed Eric for all I was worth. We touched and I burned as our bodies rubbed against each other fervently.

After at least seven minutes in heaven, my traitorous stomach growled. Eric held me to him and rubbed circles soothingly on my back. "Let's get your things, so that we can feed those ravenous appetites of yours."

He looked at me then, his eyes twinkling. I burst out laughing; I couldn't help it. Eric was shameless; his honesty was not unlike the calm way I often presented things in scientific fashion.

We went into my apartment. I threw some cheese, crackers and grapes on plate and offered Eric something to drink. Leaving him to snack, I munched a cheese and cracker sandwich as I quickly gathered up my clothes and toiletries into a garment bag.

Continuing my snack, I punched the button on my answering machine; I hadn't even given it a thought this morning. I had 19 messages!

"Sookie. Where are you? We need to talk" Beep I hit the delete button. Bill!

"Sookie, it is very late now and you are" Beep. I deleted the next message again before he was finished.

"Please call me back, so" Beep. The messages got louder and more angry as Bill realized that either I didn't come home last night or that I was screening my calls. I continued to delete all of his messages, after only a few words. Eric looked at me thoughtfully, but said nothing. When the messages were finished, I cleaned up our snack dishes.

"Eric, is there anything I can bring along foodwise?"

"No. We will need to stop at the store anyway."

"Um, you cook?"

Eric smiled proudly. "Of course. Do you have any allergies? Do you like shrimp?""

"No and yes."

"And do you like onions, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and snow peas?"

"Yes."

"Then I will make a Shrimp Risotto for us. Ready to go?" I nodded, smiling at him.

We went to the store near his place and got the items he needed. I noticed that women watched Eric, wherever we went. _Well, he is a magnificent male specimen. _ I giggled, nearly running into Eric. He smiled and put his arm around me and we got in line to check out.

He drove us back to his apartment and we carried everything inside. He actually had a nice kitchen; it was a bit open so guests could lounge around during cooking. There was a gas stove, an absolute necessity for proper cooking. Gas burners allow you to adjust the heat more accurately than electric coils. Eric offered me something to drink, but I declined, waiting until the meal. I asked if I could help but he said it was quick and easy.

"So how did you learn to cook Eric?"

"In college, one of the guys in the house I lived in was studying to be a chef. He was also practical; he made things for us at the house, not just haute cuisine."

"You're very practical. I like that, but you're also fun. You have a real sense of humor."

"So do you when you're not having a core dump" Eric grinned at me, "actually even when you are, you're kind of humorous."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Never. I'm appreciating you."

Eric had been dicing an onion. He mixed the onion with a little olive oil in a rectangular glass casserole dish that he put into the microwave. While it cooked, he washed the rest of the vegetables and started cutting them into bite sized pieces. Next, he added Arborio rice, chicken broth and a little parmesan cheese, and covered the dish tightly with plastic wrap. He finished chopping the vegetables and then added the shrimp and veggies in for the last round in the microwave and it was done. He had made the entire process look easy.

"Eric, it smells delicious."

"Well, let's eat and you can see if you like it."

We dished up our plates. Eric got us glasses of water and poured us each a glass of chardonnay. After a few eating a few bites, I realized Eric was staring at me.

"What?"

Eric's face was amused. "Are you enjoying your dinner?"

"Mmhm. Yes, it is wonderful. You can make this for me anytime."

"You sound as though you are enjoying it."

_Sound?_ _What was he talking about?_ I realized a few minutes later than I had been moaning and making small sounds of appreciation as I ate. I blushed, somewhat embarrassed, and looked up at Eric and even his eyes were smiling. We ate the rest of our meal, chatting comfortably about our college years and how we happened to choose our fields of study.

After dinner we took our plates to the kitchen to load in the dishwasher and Eric did a bit more cleanup, wiping the counter and rinsing the sink. He poured us each another glass of wine, and we went to sit in the living room on his comfortable leather couch.

"Are you going to return Bill's messages?"

"Never."

Eric nodded. "He betrayed you. You witnessed that firsthand. But is that how you end relationships with men, you shut them out completely?"

I bit my lip and tried to think of a response. "Well, I don't know. I haven't really had any other real relationships."

Eric persisted. "Amelia said that you and Alcide never got together because one or the other of you was involved."

"Mostly Alcide, with Debbie. I only had sexual partners while in college, not relationships, just sex."

Eric raised an eyebrow with a smile , then he put his arms around me and leaned his forehead against mine. "I want you to promise me something."

I frowned slightly but luxuriated in his touch and scent. "What?"

"You will talk to me before you jump to conclusions. No matter what you see or hear or think you know, you won't shut me out."

"Are we in a relationship?"

Eric held my face with one of his large hands and looked right into my eyes. "Yes. Professionally and personally."

My mouth fell open and then I raised my eyebrows. "An exclusive relationship?"

Eric smiled. "Well, professionally I think we should continue working with Amelia, and Sam, Lafayette, Pam and all the lab rats at the Jeffersonian."

I slapped his shoulder and tried not to laugh. He was so engaging, damn him. "And personally?"

He looked at me seriously now. "That would be exclusive."

_This smart, funny, sex god wanted an exclusive relationship? The data was in. The conclusion was clear._ "Yes." I flung my arms around Eric as he scooped me up and carried me off to his bedroom.

**Eric POV**

I awakened, spooned up behind my lover. I was so happy that Sookie had accepted what we were feeling. _Actually, I was glad that I had accepted it._ Who knew why it felt this way, but it felt right. Now, how would we handle things at work? Others would find out about us. I had an entertaining idea of how to let others know, but would Sookie think it was funny?

I turned off the alarm before it could ring. I let myself snuggle and nuzzle her then began kissing her shoulder, up her neck to behind her ear. Sookie woke, responding enthusiastically. We enjoyed each other in bed, and then in the shower. _I wanted to_ _wake up this way every day._

Over breakfast, I asked Sookie about making our relationship known at work. I knew it would be difficult for her because of the whole thing with Compton. I explained my idea and why I thought we should do it. She seemed somewhat embarrassed but agreed to my plan.

We drove to the Jeffersonian together. After checking in at my office, I went to hers. We had the interview scheduled this morning with Reverend Newlin and then hopefully more lab results would be ready. As I approached Sookie's door, an office assistant brought in an arrangement of a dozen red roses.

"Flowers for you Sookie. Where do you want them?"

Sookie looked at me then gestured to the coffee table. "Thanks Ginger, over there is fine." _Shit, I should have gotten her flowers_. She went over and took the card from it. Reading the card, she frowned and then threw it away.

"They are from Bill." She rolled her eyes. "I will take them up to reception where someone can enjoy them. I'll be back in a minute."

I nodded. "It's nearly time for our interview."

She carried them off and was back in a moment. Closing the door behind her, she went to her desk and dialed the phone. "Lafayette, it is almost time for the interview. Can you come down to my office and we will head over to get setup?"

She hung up the phone and turned to me, hesitating, she blushed. I stepped right into her body, taking her into my arms. "Lover, this was our plan and it will be fun."

She nodded her consent and I kissed her hard. Sookie wrapped her arms around my neck and wound her hands into my hair. Her lips would be red and swollen with the intensity of the kisses we were sharing. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. We broke apart, long enough for Sookie to call out.

"Come in, Lafayette."

Sookie and I immediately went back to our hungry kisses, practically devouring each other.

"Holy fucking shit." Lafayette sounded a bit flustered. "Uh, if you two can stop sucking face, we have an interview to do."

I slowly ended the kiss, looking deeply into Sookie's eyes. I looked up at Lafayette and smirked. I stood with Sookie, my arm around her. "We're ready. No reason we couldn't enjoy our time waiting for you."

_Game on_. Sookie and I had discussed our deduction that Lafayette was here to watch our partnership. We could certainly enjoy teasing Pam and him by allowing ourselves to flaunt our relationship a bit. Lafayette seemed distracted.

The three of us went to the interview area and Lafayette helped us set up the earpieces again. Sookie and I were now on our best professional behavior. I went to get the Reverend, made the introductions and started the interview.

"Reverend Newlin, can you tell us about the trip Maria Herveaux was taking?"

"She was going to a remote area where the church is supporting the building of wells for safe drinking water. She helped to raise a great deal of money so that a number of these wells could be built."

"When did you last see her?"

"We met at her restaurant about 1:00 pm to discuss the final details of the trip. We talked about an hour and left at the same time. I had my car in the parking lot. She was taking a taxi to the airport. I helped her take her bags out to wait for the taxi. "

"How long have you known Ms. Herveaux?"

"She and her husband have been attending the church since she moved here after the marriage, over a year ago. She has been very active in supporting our service programs. Frankly, I don't know what we will do without her now." The Reverend shook his head and looked upset.

"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt her?"

"No. I can't see _why_ anyone would either. She was a wonderful, generous person."

I nodded and gave Reverend Newlin my usual spiel, thanking him and that he was to let us know if he thought of anything else and handed him one of my cards. I got up and saw him out of the office. A few minutes later I was back to the interview room where Sookie and Lafayette were waiting.

"Well, that was worse than porn where you get the sound but the picture has failed. You are having the most tedious interviews imaginable."

I nodded at Lafayette. "That was not very helpful with the case. Sookie, do you think there is more information available from the lab tests yet?"

"Well, let's go see what they have for us. Lafayette, do you want to see if Pam can join us? We can meet in the main lab."

"Sure." He said going out the door. "She'll love all this tiresome shit. Maybe she can even keep me awake."

I chuckled knowing he would have a chance to tell Pam about Sookie and me as well.

**Pam POV**

Lafayette came to tell me we were meeting in the lab about the latest test results. "So Pam, we talked yesterday about how they were obviously attracted to each other."

"Yes. They connected when they met, and clearly there was some chemistry. They were also able to really talk to each other, share interests and ideas. So they are connecting on multiple fronts. Do you think we will be able to keep things simple and platonic between them?"

Lafayette chortled. "Pam, there is as much chance of that as there is of me fucking you. They have already _connected_ every one of their body parts from what I can tell."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Shit, that was fast. Do you think they will be able to work well together anyway?"

"The jury is still out on that one, but it looks promising actually. I will spy on them and get them to spill their guts and let you know."

**Eric POV**

I smiled at Sookie, rubbing my hands down her arms. "You know, this will give Lafayette a chance to tell Pam about us, also."

"How do you feel about that Eric? I mean you were with Pam at one time."

I took her face into my hands and looked into her eyes. "That was purely sex; there were no real feelings involved. I mean, we were friendly but not in a relationship. Are you worried about Pam knowing?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I mean it may be a short time since Bill and you are also my partner, but it's not possible to change what is. Are you sure she didn't have any feelings about you?"

"Positive. It was almost ten years ago, anyway. I am glad you realize that nobody is changing how we feel. I am not letting go of you anytime soon, Lover."

"OK, but we are working now. Why don't you go to the main lab while I stop by and get Amelia?"

"As you wish." Smirking, I gave her a quick kiss before leaving.

A few minutes later, we were all gathered in the main lab. Sookie took the lead in this area, as usual.

"Amelia, do you have anything to report today?"

"Yes. I did some crime scene simulations based on the drag marks and made calculations based on Maria's weight. The fact that she was dragged leads me to believe that the murderer was not strong enough to carry her. I believe it may be a physically smaller male or a female who was dumping the body."

"Okay. Good. How about you Sam? Any progress on the weapon?"

Sam looked excited. "Actually, we do have progress. We can't verify the actual weapon yet, other than a blunt instrument. However, the wound had a hair in it. After examination and comparison, I determined it to be a lynx hair. Very rare in terms of commercial products. The only distributor of products with lynx hair nationally is the Pelt Co and they only make five products using lynx hair. They have a short coat, two longer coats, a muff and a big purse that has lynx fur around the top. The most likely weapon of those is the big purse. She could have been hit with one of those particularly with it being weighted with all the things women put into a purse; it could have been heavy enough to make an effective weapon. Shall we get one of those purses and run tests?"

Sookie nodded at him. "Absolutely."

"What will you use to simulate the victim?" asked Pam.

"Pig heads. Amy and Rasul can do the head bashing, they have the type of physiques Amelia indicated."

Trying not to imagine those tests, I moved things right past the squint discussion. "In the meantime, I think we need to have another chat with Ms. Pelt. I will set it up for right after lunch. "

The meeting ended and everyone went back to their respective offices or their lab. I contacted Debbie Pelt to set up the interview, before going to Sookie's office to meet her for lunch. I was glad we were able to go eat without interference from Pam or Lafayette. _Would wonders never cease? I was overexcited to have more time alone with Sookie. Fuck. When did I turn into a teenage girl?_

After lunch, we stopped at Lafayette's office together. I let Sookie step in first, following to stand close behind her. Wrapped my arms around her waist, I rested my head atop hers.

"Lafayette, why don't you and Sookie go set up for the interview and I'll escort Ms. Pelt there?"

"Sure. Are the two of you partners on the top homicide team in the area or horny teenagers?"

I chuckled. "Both." Releasing Sookie, I brushed my lips against her cheek before leaving to get Ms. Pelt.

I brought Ms. Pelt to the interview room and once seated, began the questioning.

"Ms. Pelt, do you know that your company is the only distributor of lynx fur products?"

"Of course, it is a competitive advantage, a distinctive difference for us." Ms. Pelt looked unhappy. "Why am I here again?"

"We have new information that the murder was committed with a blunt object with lynx fur."

"Well, I distribute the products. I don't own them all myself." She snorted, disgusted.

I persisted. "How many of the bags with lynx fur trim have you sold?"

"Dozens." All of sudden, she looked pensive. "You know when I was at the bar, watching Maria with that guy, the woman sitting next to me had one of my bags."

Eric raised his eyebrows. "Did you speak to her? Or did she talk to you?"

"Not really. I thought I heard her say something like, the cheat. But we didn't talk to each other."

Sookie blurted out a flurry of questions. "Was she there alone? Was she having a drink? What do you think she was talking about, the cheat?"

Debbie stared at her. "She was alone, having a drink. It was odd, but she seemed to be looking at Maria and that guy, too. If it wasn't for that, and the fact that she had one of my bags, I wouldn't have noticed her at all."

"Can you describe her to Amelia, so she can make a drawing of her?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Sookie looked at her seriously. "Not really. This is a murder investigation after all." Sookie looked at me to see if I had further questions. I shook my head. "Let's go see Amelia, shall we?"

Sookie left with Ms. Pelt to get Amelia started on the sketch of our mystery woman. Lafayette joined me in the interview room again. He sat on the edge of the table and started right in on me.

"So what was that in Sookie's office?"

I gave him a shit-eating grin. "A dose of reality."

"What the fuck, Eric?"

"You work with us. You were going to know anyway. Don't tell me that Pam didn't have you watching us. We thought we would just put it out there for you."

"And what is _it_?"

"Sookie and I are in a relationship, but we will keep it professional here at work."

Lafayette waggled his eyebrows. "Like this morning? That was hot."

I laughed. "In the future, we will be keeping our _hot_ behind closed doors."

"Well how the hell are you going to keep the door closed on Pam? She wants me to make videos of you two for her own private porn party, you know. "

"She does enjoy her porn, but she is going to have to leave us to work like the professionals we are."

**Sookie POV **

When the sketch was finished, I accompanied Ms. Pelt out and came back to work with Amelia on making the identification. The imaging screen showed her digitized sketch on the left side, while searching the database for a match in another window.

"So sweetie, how are you and the hottie doing as partners?"

I blushed. My best friend had no idea of how well the partnership was going. "It's going well, Amelia."

"Uh huh. I stopped by last night and you weren't home. What have you been doing?"

Well, time to lay out the facts. "I was at Eric's place, actually, I was there the last two nights."

Amelia gasped. "Oh my God! You didn't! You and the hottie? Is he as yummy as he looks?"

"More. He has the most potent pheromones you could imagine, not to mention his, uh, skills. I have never been so attracted to a man or so satisfied."

I took a breath and went on in full textbook mode. "Eric is a master of orgasm control; on the phases and cycles from arousal, plateau, orgasm and resolution. In arousal, he is expert at kissing and petting to cause increased heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, nipple, clitoral and penile erections and vasocongestion of the skin. In the plateau phase, Eric is forceful which increases stimulation adding to the sexual pleasure as well as higher heart rate, circulation, and respiration rates. In orgasm, there are quick cycles of muscle contractions in the lower pelvic regions. At that point, however, I totally understand the phrase – having your brains fucked out, because mine are inaccessible. Eric has a very short refractory period. "

Amelia grinned. "You are lucky to have a man with skills. Is his weapon as proportional with the rest of him?"

"Amelia, he has every weapon known to man, all his weapons are impressive and he probably invented some of them."

"Wow. But Sooks, you hopped into bed with him very quickly."

I hesitated but felt the need to confide in Amelia. "It doesn't feel that way though. It feels comfortable and right."

Amelia looked delighted. "You're talking about feeling! He really has you."

I smiled, almost shyly. "We decided that our relationship would be exclusive."

"Well then, I am happy for you, sweetie. He is fuckhot, too."

At that moment, the computer beeped, indicating a match for the sketch. Amelia gasped at the name and biographical information on the screen. We summoned Eric so we could fill him in on the surprising new lead.

Eric came into the imaging room. "Ladies, you have news?"

I was beyond excited. "Eric, we got a match to the sketch, the woman is Sarah Newlin, the wife of Reverend Steve Newlin!"

Eric smiled. "That can't be a coincidence. Let's go have a talk with her."

We drove out to the Fellowship of the Sun Church unannounced. Sarah Newlin was in the Reverend's office. Eric introduced us and told her that we were there about the homicide of Maria Herveaux.

"We talked with your husband earlier today, Ms. Newlin. We have a few questions for you."

We all sat down and Eric continued.

"Ms. Newlin, did you know Ms. Herveaux?"

"No, I actually never heard of her until her death."

"So you didn't know who she was when she was meeting with your husband at the Southern Bar & Grill on Tuesday?"

Ms. Newlin's eyes went wide. "No."

"What were you doing at the bar, anyway?"

"I was following my husband. He seemed to be having a lot of meetings with that pretty, young thing."

"What did you see when you watched them on Tuesday?"

"I saw them have a drink together in the bar. When they left together, he had _suitcases. They were going somewhere together_." Her eyes and tone were furious now.

Eric looked at her sharply. "So you believed they were having an affair. Were you jealous?"

Ms. Newlin exploded. "Of course, I was jealous. We've been married 15 years. How dare he?"

Reverend Newlin chose that minute to join us. He looked shocked. "Sarah, Ms. Herveaux was going on a mission trip for the church. I wasn't going anywhere _with_ her."

Ms. Newlin looked stricken, and then she crumpled, tears on her face. "Oh God, I thought she was having an affair with you, Steve. I was so angry, before I knew what I was doing; I whacked her over the head with my bag. Oh God. I killed her. For nothing. God help me."

Reverend Newlin looked aghast. Eric handcuffed Ms. Newlin and read her rights to her.

I noticed a large bag with fur around the top on the floor next to the desk. I gestured to it, "Eric, look at the bag."

Eric called for officers to transport Ms. Newlin and to get a search warrant for her car and the office. He got the warrant and we found Maria Herveaux's luggage, still in her car; Ms. Newlin hadn't taken the time to dispose of it yet. While Eric made his calls, I called Alcide and told him what we had learned. Then we had to wait for crime scene technicians to process the bag and the luggage. Eric and I waited in the garden alongside the church. There was a nice wooden bench where we could sit and talk while we waited.

"Eric, I tried to tell Alcide that she was trying to save her own marriage but he was too upset to listen to me."

"He is dealing with his loss, and making funeral preparations. You'll be able to talk with him again later. We can go to the funeral."

"I feel so badly for Alcide. There was no reason for Maria to die; it was a total misunderstanding. This is why it is so important to base decisions on actual facts rather than emotional whims."

"You're right. Emotions can sometimes blind people to the data. That's one reason we have our work. You and your squints are excellent processors of data."

"Did you know that the scientific definition of jealousy is twofold? First, it involves three people. Secondly, jealously triggers an aversive response or protective behavior from a complex set of thoughts, feeling and actions that are perceived as a threat to a valued relationship. You have to communicate with each other to have all the facts."

"Yes, with better communication or more trust, there would have been no perceived threat. So you agree that we will be communicating with each other, Lover?"

I nodded, we were on the same page about that. The van showed up to process the scene. I went with the tech to give him further instructions. The lab would test Ms. Newlin's bag, compare the lynx hair to that found in the wound to see if there was a match. The tech complained when he picked up the bag; it was so heavy. I told him to weigh it and tell Sam the information for the tests he was doing with Amy and Rasul. They would enjoy those tests.

Eric and I got in the car to leave. I leaned against the seat with a sigh, it had been a long afternoon. Eric turned to me.

"Lover, will you come home with me or am I coming with you?"

I thought of Eric's humongous shower and flushed. "Yours, with a stop at mine."

Eric ran his hand down my blushing jaw line, with a smirk. "What is this for?"

I closed my eyes and probably went from pink to scarlet. "I enjoy your shower."

Eric laughed. "I enjoy it _with you,_ Lover. But first, think about what you want for dinner. We should celebrate the resolution of our first case together."

"Two Amys Pizza and beer."

Eric drove to my apartment, which was becoming the norm. I was surprisingly comfortable with it. He dropped me off to get my things while he picked up some beer and called to order the pizza. He was waiting in front of the building when I came back out and we went to get the pizza.

At Eric's place, we had our dinner, going over the details of things to finalize in the paperwork for our case. I was telling him about some of the tests we would run when I felt his warm gaze. He was looking at me like he was starving. I met his eyes, the way he liked. Eric got up, swung me up in his arms, and carried me into the bedroom. We were laughing all the way.

Eric tossed me onto the bed and began unbuttoning his shirt, stripping it off. He unzipped his pants, stepped out of them and then removed his socks giving me a quick view of his fabulous ass. Wearing only his boxers now, he crawled across the bed and quickly removed all my clothes except my lace panties.

Starting with my feet, he massaged them in his strong hands. Then he kissed, licked and nibbled his way up my legs. I was trembling with anticipation; I knew very well how talented Eric was. He reached my panties and slid his fingers under each side to pull them off. His voice was husky with desire. "Lover, watch me."

He started where he had left off, lapping up my dripping wetness, licking and sucking my clit. I was breathing heavily, groaning, and desperate with need. Eric worked me with his mouth and hands, until I shuddered with pleasure and shrieked his name, our eyes still connected.

Eric slid up my body, his skin brushing mine. I felt his warmth, his weight, his solid chest muscles, and his hard cock between my legs. He kissed me fiercely, the taste of my passion on his lips.

**Eric POV**

I loved the look in her eyes when she came, the total surrender to her feelings, her lack of intelligible speech as she moaned and cried out with her pleasure. I sucked all her sweetness into my mouth. Then I covered her body with mine, pressing into her, kissing her, letting my tongue dance with hers. Taking her in my arms, I let my hands caress her ass.

She wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled back from the kiss to plead. "Eric I need you."

I slid into her in one ardent thrust. Her wet heat encompassed me. Relishing the feel of her delicious body, I began pumping into her, harder and faster. "Lover, my Lover" I gasped breathlessly. She grabbed my ass and met my thrusts, tightening around me so that I nearly climaxed. Now I was pleading. "Lover, come with me, I need you to come with me." She clenched me forcefully, causing my own release, as we both cried out.

I moved to lie on my back pulling her into my side, rubbing circles on her back as we caught our breath. We relaxed this way for awhile, contented. I knew it was important to tell her how I felt, that she needed to connect with her own feelings.

I turned enough on my side to face her now, looking into her eyes. "You have to know that I am falling in love with you."

She sucked in a breath. "There is a chemical basis for love. Biological models for mammals see it as a drive similar to hunger or thirst. The two main components are sexual attraction and attachment."

"We already talked about sexual attraction based on pheromones. Attachment is related to three main chemicals in the brain; dopamine, oxytocin and vasopressin. Dopamine is key in the reward circuits in the brain for feelings of pleasure from sex and social interaction. Oxytocin and vasopressin influence how dopamine works on the reward circuits. Vasopressin is increased during sexual arousal and Oxytocin is released after orgasm. These two chemicals are closely linked with bonding. Oxytocin reduces stress and increases trust between partners which facilitates the attachment. These things are happening to us. "

I put my hand into her hair. "Psychology has models for love based on social and cultural phenomenon. Traditional psychology views love as a combination of companionate love and passionate love. Passionate love is intense longing, physiological arousal, really it is the sexual attraction, and is influenced by hormones. Companionate love is the affection and intimacy, which matches up with your biological attachment theory. I feel these things for you."

I put my mouth to hers, kissing her slowly then rested my forehead against hers. "Chemical reactions and feelings, it is still love."

Sookie grabbed my hair and pulled me back into the kiss, then murmured against my lips, "Yes, it is love," as we settled back into each others' arms.


End file.
